Hi everyone I'm a first time chicken momma and my RIR x leghorns are 14 weeks old. I bought them at 10 days old as a pair and have built them a coop and nice run in the garden. As you can imagine I have been telling friends and posting my new babies on fb. Three weeks ago a distant friend said there was an abandoned feral chick on a social media site. At the time I was taking care of my friend's rhodesian rigdeback, my girls were settled outside and I knew my husband would kill me if I brought a potential rooster home. Needless to say I rescued the tiny little thing and now I have an unknown breed and sex chick that will be ready to live outside in 2 weeks. My worry is my older two will bully her. She has no one except me and she is much smaller than they were at 4 weeks. I've read that hens can be super mean, Please help.
introductions
- Thread starter divediva
- Start date
Integrating newcomers can be done in stages. Arrange a temporary see-no-touch set up and monitor them. It may take several weeks or longer, and even then it will probably be a challenge. They are not likely to be nice to the chick. If it is smaller than they were at that age, it could be a bantam. Post pics and people here will help figure out what you have...
Good luck!
Sue
Good luck!
Sue
Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
BYC 'quarantine' search
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.
Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.
In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.
The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.
Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.
Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
BYC 'quarantine' search
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.
Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.
In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.
The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.
Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.
Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock
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- #4
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- #5
- Thread starter
- #6
Thanks for taking the time to respond. I was hoping it wouldn't be quite this bad as I don't have tons of space. I still don't even know if she's really a she. I will try what you suggest. The feral chickens here are mostly descendants from the fighting cocks,
but there are all kinds and colours. When she was a baby she was just a regular yellow pompom with a brown thumbprint on her back (hence the name Smudge) now she looks like this at 4 weeks old.
Attachments
Hmmmm...it's probably a single combed bird...
...but the red area at the wattle may tell the tale within a couple weeks.
...but the red area at the wattle may tell the tale within a couple weeks.
Dusti Tice
Chirping
I think smudge is a rooster....... sorry but the long tail and the comb tell me this. And my what a beautiful bird
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